‘Time for peace now,’ says Deputy PM of Iraq's Kurdish region amid regional escalation

Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani has stated that the United States never intended to deploy Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups from Iraq to Iran. This came amid regional tensions and reports of possible US-backed efforts to involve these opposition groups against Tehran. The Deputy PM emphasized that there was never a plan by the US to send these groups into Iran, a statement made clear to both the US and Iran early on in the conflict.

Talabani also addressed the mysterious weapons that President Donald Trump had mentioned, clarifying that he had no knowledge of their existence or distribution. The Deputy PM expressed confidence that diplomatic efforts could lead to a lasting peace, drawing parallels to the successful Turkey-PKK peace process. He further mentioned that the Kurdistan Regional Government supported similar efforts in Syria, urging the Syrian Democratic Forces to pursue political engagement instead of relying on military solutions.

The Deputy PM criticized attacks launched from Iraq against neighboring countries during the Iran war, urging Iran-backed armed groups to be brought under state control. He stressed the importance of Kurdish representation in political decision-making in Baghdad to guide Iraq's security policy and prevent further attacks on allies in the Gulf. Despite the ongoing conflict and over 1,000 drone and missile attacks by Iran since February 28, Talabani called for an end to the violence, stating it was time for peace.